John Laird: Water conservation is answer for future

In the wake of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's recent statewide tour to push his water plan, there is a key fact all Californians should consider: The city of Los Angeles has grown by nearly 1 million people in the last 25 years, and current water use is virtually the same as a quarter-century ago.

Why? Water conservation.

Throughout urban Southern California, water conservation has reduced per-capita use by 39 gallons per day through replacement of inefficient water-using fixtures and improved landscape watering.

The amount of water "produced" through conservation, recycling and groundwater clean-up in Southern California is more than 900,000 acre-feet a year, more than the annual yield provided by the two dams that the governor has proposed.

The governor is right to highlight the challenge of providing water for California's future. Growth in California could increase our population by a quarter in the coming decades. Most of that growth is projected in drier, inland areas of the state.

The Sierra Nevada supplies all or part of the water used by at least 65 percent of Californians. Current climate change patterns are projected to cut the Sierra snowpack by half in the next century. And the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, where millions of acre-feet of water are sent elsewhere, is in a fragile condition.

The challenge is magnified because most water demands occur in areas where the water isn't -- requiring not just additional water, but expensive conveyance systems to get water to the areas that need it. Those conveyance systems consume massive amounts of electricity. In fact, according to the Pacific Institute, 19 percent of California's electricity is used to pump, clean, heat and treat water.

Water conservation must be a key part of any future plan. It is not the solution by itself, but it is the only water "source" that is common to every water district in the state. It also costs considerably less than any other water development alternative.

The Legislature should play a major role on this issue. Two bills I've authored will take water conservation to the next level in California. Both passed the Assembly and are pending in the Senate.

Assembly Bill 715 would phase in lower-flow, high-efficiency toilets and authorize waterless urinals for new construction. These toilets are now on the market, and a recently released study by the federal Environmental Protection Agency shows they work.

The Plumbing Manufacturers Institute, representing toilet manufacturers, supports AB 715. One manufacturer, Kohler, estimates annual water savings in California would be 232,000 acre-feet, based on the current number of toilets and the eventual switch of all existing toilets to high-efficiency toilets.

Manufacturers believe that just as California has led the way with last year's greenhouse gases law, California can start a national conversation by enacting more efficient guidelines for toilets.

When this bill passed and headed to the Senate, opposition came only from those who referred to the bill as "nanny government." Current-generation water-efficient toilets -- part of how Los Angeles grew by a million people and was still able to use the same amount of water -- were the result of legislation signed into law by then-Gov. Pete Wilson, hardly known as a fan of "nanny government."

A second bill, Assembly Bill 1420, would apply to jurisdictions seeking water management funds from the bonds approved by voters last November. To receive a grant from the state, the bill would require jurisdictions seeking the money to have good water conservation programs in place or planned.

Enactment of AB 1420 would result in annual savings of an estimated 300,000 acre-feet of water, begging the question: Why should we develop new water sources before we manage existing sources to best advantage?

As we consider how to plan for our future, we should make water conservation a key part of any solution. It's cheaper, it's everywhere and it's the easiest of the alternatives on the table. Once again, California can lead the way.

About the writer:

• Assemblyman John Laird, D-Santa Cruz, is chairman of the Assembly Budget Committee.